The Creator
by Kay-Gemini
Summary: Bella was the first mythical creature to walk on Earth. She is the creator of both werewolves and vampires. She herself is a cross breed and extremely powerful. What happens when she moves to Forks and meets Edward? ExB Jacob:Best Friend AU
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is the revised first Chapter. Tell me what you think **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. They are the creations of Stephanie Meyer and I do not have any intention of claiming them as mine!**

**Chapter 1**

Green: everything around me was green. Tree trunks were covered in weeds, climbers and creepers. Thick bushes and grass grew everywhere; it was impossible to see the soil that graced the earth. Rainy, cloudy and, most of all, green, Forks was an incredibly small town. Everyone knew everyone. News travelled ridiculously quickly, like a raging forest fire. This is why I was sure everyone knew there was a new girl in town. Tomorrow (well today now) when I go to school, everyone will be looking for the new girl. All eyes would be on me; the thought made me shiver. I never liked attention; I was a quiet girl, used to be shy and timid. But that's suicide if you are in the situation I am in. I learnt to accept it and become stronger. People may call me anti-social but truly, it's a defence mechanism. People who get too close get hurt and those who don't, get suspicious; that's always been the case. Besides, I'm a secret I must protect with my life. Ironic, isn't it? I suppose in the end it does come down to me protecting myself. Regardless, Forks was the perfect place to settle down. It was a small town; if anything went wrong I could run away without causing too much damage.

I had enrolled myself into the only high school; it kept up pretences. Moreover, it gave me an excuse to know people. Don't get me wrong, school doesn't get any more interesting after you have gone through it over at least a hundred times. But after you live your life in complete solitude, distancing yourself from any other sentient being; you appreciate even the mere presence of a human. My story at school is simple: I'm an orphan who is now emancipated after bouncing from foster family to foster family. Maybe not that simple but it was the only way I could live on my own without raising eyebrows. That's the last thing you want to do. Getting people curious is only a stone throw away from them becoming suspicious. You have to do everything by the book, so that the natural curiosity they have after noticing you can eventually die down.

I drove into the thin lane that I used as a make shift driveway. It only took a few minutes for me to reach my house. My house. It was everything I had dreamt of; ever since I was little. It wasn't the enormous mansion like most people dream of: it was a cosy little home that appeared to be made out of wood. And it was. Huge logs of oak placed on top and beside each other shaped the house. It looked a lot like an enlarged cottage. It was perfect! It was on the outskirts of Forks, so it was fairly far from human civilisation. Plus, it was right next to a forest! That would take care of my dietary habits. It was two stories tall; the ground floor had the lounge, kitchen, dining room and the first floor held 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Beside the house was a small garage, also made of wood, where I kept my priced possession. I always like the thought of living in a house that was made out of wood; much like the house I used to live in when I was younger. I stepped out of my car and walked into my home. The scent was lovely; it smelt like fresh pine leaves after the first shower of winter. It made me feel closer to nature. I had an old fashioned fireplace built into the lounge. Not like I would use it though; I couldn't physically feel cold. Regardless, it looked pretty nice. The wooden flooring and walls completed the "wooden" feel of the house. I walked up the spiral staircase (which was also finished with wood) and reached my room.

My room was decorated like the rest of the house: wooden flooring and walls; wooden furniture (including a bed); and a large window that looked down to the lawn and driveway. The view was wonderful! Even in the dark, my eyes had no difficultly seeing the sight around me. The lawn was rich green (like the rest of Forks) with the occasional purple and yellow flower that grew randomly. The driveway cut through the middle but appeared to be more like a hiking trail; it was extremely small. No human could navigate through it without doing some serious damage to their car. I, on the other hand, had no such problems. Still, I need to remember to get it widened though; why invite trouble?

I walked over to my light maple finish bedside table. I had paid the movers quite a lump sum of money when I asked them to move my furniture. I provided schematics with details of exactly where I wanted everything to be; they were more than happy to comply considering the amount of money I paid. They even agreed to get a sister company to install the electricity, gas and water supply to the house. I returned my attention to the object that had initially caught my interest. I picked up the picture of the only person I had ever connected with; I could never forget him. He reminded me of who I was, and what I wanted to be. His heart was made of gold; he was always so caring and understanding. His dark eyes always held wisdom, even in his youth. I put the frame down; it was a cruel reminder of what happened to people if they came close to me. I was trouble. I only ever brought despair to anyone I was closed to; it was the sole reason for my solitary confinement. I walked into the adjacent bathroom - away from the memories that threatened to resurface.

The whiter finish of the wood was pleasing and peaceful. I twisted the tap, watching as the water poured out. After brushing my teeth, I decided a shower would be useful. I undressed myself, and stepped into the fairly large, frosted glass cubicle. The hot water felt wonderful against my cold skin. It removed the knots that had formed in my muscles. I massaged the strawberry scented shampoo into my hair, rinsing it out after a few minutes. After a good half an hour, I stepped out and wrapped myself with a white towel. My usually cream skin was flushed red as the blood rushed to my skin due to the hot water. I made my way to my walk-in wardrobe. My wardrobe was what you could describe as every girl's dream. It was basically another room filled with shelves, hangers, poles and mirrors. And clothes. It was littered with clothes. Over the years, I have collected quite a few outfits that I loved wearing. I usually stayed away from clothes that were too bright or too revealing. I preferred casual, comfortable clothes. For now, I chose a pair of purple and white pyjamas. After changing, I went straight to my beautiful, dark mahogany bed. I fell into the soft black and blue mattress. I looked at the time on the digital watch on my bedside table. It read: 2:37. Boy, did I need a good night's sleep after the journey I've had today!

**AN: End of chapter 1 everyone! I know I am not supposed to be writing this instead of revising for my exam tomorrow. But surely, writing a story can be passed as revision for descriptive writing? **

**Please tell me what you think. Has it improved? Or did you prefer the previous chapter? I hope it seems better. So please REVIEW! It only takes a few seconds.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: This is now the second revised chapter. I am really excited to know what you think. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. They are solely the creations of Stephanie Meyer and I do not have any intention of claiming them as mine!**

Chapter 2:

Tweet. Tweet. Tweet.

I could hear the birds chirping outside as my senses returned to me. The sunshine felt lovely on my skin, warming up the cold blood that flows through my veins. Something smelt lovely; a deer must have wandered close to the house. My eyes gradually fluttered open; my pupils adjusted effortlessly to the bright light filtering through the windows. I turned on my side and sighed. It had been fairly long since I slept that well. I sat up and stretched my arms, feeling the wonderful pull and rush of blood to the muscles. I pondered for a second how long I must have slept. Surely, it couldn't have been more than a few hours. I caught a glimpse of the familiar red blinking in my peripheral vision. I turned to read the time. It read: 7:49. _Wow!_ I thought to myself. _I hadn't slept that long for decades._ I got off the bed, pushing the ruffled, navy blue quilt aside. I walked gingerly to the bathroom. That was one heck of a relaxing nap! I turned the tap; my cupped hand collected the water that fell through. Splash! The ice cold water hit my face. Just what I needed to wake up. I closed my eyes as my senses recovered to the normal, sharp precision I was accustomed to: I could once again see the little specks of dust floating in the air; I could hear the water flowing gracefully through the river a few miles into the forest; I could smell the warm, musky scent of the ash trees that lined the forest; I could almost taste the warm, voluptuous blood of that deer as it sauntered right next to my house.

My eyes snapped open: I needed to hunt soon. I watched my reflection in the mirror: my iris slowly turned from atrous black to the deep, chocolate brown with golden swirls that I was used to. My skin was paler today; it looked whiter than its natural sarcoline, cream colour. My lips were also a lighter pink than the usual crimson. I really needed to hunt; there just wasn't enough time. School started in 25 minutes and if I wanted to keep up pretences I would have to take that monstrosity they call a truck. After quickly brushing my teeth, I walked out of the bathroom and back into my sanded, oak-finish bedroom. I glanced at my alarm clock. It was 7:50. I ignored the urge to lay down back in bed and strolled towards my wardrobe. I was greeted by the familiar sight of the clothes' kingdom. I walked towards the right corner of my enormous cupboard; I needed something I could feel comfortable in. After little confusion, I chose my dark denim skinny jeans. It was fairly chilly outside for humans; I decided to wear a black cardigan over a purple vest and charcoal waistcoat duo. Black leather boots completed the outfit; I didn't look like the most approachable person. I let my long, dark mahogany hair cascade down my back in their natural waves; I didn't feel like tying it back today. Most girls go crazy on makeup. I wasn't a fan. I decided to pop some eyeliner inside my eye and a thin line over the lids. That's that done. I looked at the mirror; even though I was only 5' 5'' I looked fairly intimidating. That should keep people away.

I made my way downstairs. I hadn't noticed yesterday how clean and glossy the wooden staircase was. Any human would have no difficultly slipping and cracking open their skull. I had hired a team of cleaners to make sure that all the dust had been cleaned out of the house; I hated the sight of dust lined furniture and floors. I walked out of the house, only to be greeted by the sight of the monstrosity they call a vehicle. It infuriated me immensely; I owned an Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro Spyder 2d 5204cc R Tronic that was currently resting in the garage. It was the most expensive in its range, and by far the best car I had ever owned. Moreover, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I had it customised so that it was painted silver with the door stripes and radiator grill a dark black. It was my priced possession; my baby. And at the moment, it was useless. Since my cover story at school was that I was an emancipated minor, I couldn't drive around in my baby. I shouldn't be able to make that much money. Truthfully, however, I had made myself a fairly enormous fortune. It only takes a few decades to be able to detect the trends in the shares market. After a century, you become a master. Needless to say, I have enough to have a few hundreds of my R8. That wouldn't make the slightest difference though. To keep pretences, I would still have to drive in what I could only describe as a piece of junk. It was a bright red, rusted Chevy truck. From the 80's! Saying that it was ancient was an understatement (in terms of cars). It could not physically drive over 50 mph. What's worse is that it made a horrible groaning sound every time you turned on its engine; I might as well cut my ears off right now. To me, it sounded like a thousand trucks were slamming into each other continuously. It was going to be a long drive to school. I climbed into the atrocious piece of machinery. The smell was horrific; the putrid scent of sweat, vomit and I think manure took over my senses. If I could, I would hurl. I clenched the manual gear box (well, not really clenched, otherwise it would disintegrate). It grinded into first gear. _That's a promising start._ My inner voice loved sarcasm a little too much.

As I imagined, the drive to school was long; the stench and dissonant clanging of the engine didn't make it any more enjoyable. It was easy to find my way around. There were only 2 main roads in Forks; one led to the hospital and the other led to the school and police station. All you had to do was ignore all the signs that said hospital and you would be there in no time. Of course that doesn't include delays such as driving in an archaic truck that can barely hold its own weight let alone support yours. I watched in boredom as tree after tree and road after road slowly passed my vehicle. It would be so much easier to just walk to school (that is if I walked at my natural pace); I could comfortably reach in less than 4 minutes. What was worse was the location of my house. Since I lived at the outskirts of Forks, the roads leading to Forks might as well be non-existent: suffice to say that the drive to school was an extremely bumpy ride. Fortunately, the closer I got to the school, the less miserable I became. I had nearly reached the school gate when it happened.

The familiar sweet, fragrant smell hit me; it overtook my senses. My instincts kicked in: my hands clenched into fists; my nostrils flared as the scent danced in my nasal cavity; the hairs on the back of my neck stood upright. Vampires. Only one thing could have that accustomed, attractive yet inedible sweet scent. I inhaled deeply; there were 5 distinct scents intertwined into that ambrosial smell that screamed vampires. _Run_. My inner voice screamed furiously at me. _Run as far away as you can._ There was a coven of 5 vampires that resided in this town; they certainly attended this school. All that could lead to was trouble. What did this mean? Why would man-eating vampires attend a common high school? Surely someone would notice after students started mysteriously disappearing from the same high school. But why go through all the trouble of education and pretences to feed on humans? They could have a disgusting fetish for the taste of adolescents, but it still didn't make sense? Why go through the torture of the nearly uncontrollable, raging thirst that screams for their blood every time a human walks past? It would take impeccable self-restraint to be able to go through that every day. And there were definitely 5 vampires; they could finish off this whole school in a week! There was one with the musky, rather masculine scent with the faint tinge of natural wild vanilla and oakmoss; another with an incredibly floral (rose and lavender I believe) almost perfume like hint to her extremely feminine smell that was laced with petrol; another with a scent that was laced with the same petrol of the previous vampire but with an extremely masculine pungent smell that consisted of a sharp taste of hay, a hint of cumin and perspiration; the penultimate smell was predominantly jasmine and rose but for some reason did not smell as floral as the smell of the other vampire; the last scent was the one that caught my attention. It was the most luscious scent I have ever come across in my existence. The scent was definitely masculine; it was laced with citrus undertones beneath predominantly sandalwood and cinnamon along with a pinch of clove. It was an astonishingly natural smell for a vampire; most of them became more fragrant and captivating, in order to attract prey. His however still had the undertones of nature, retaining that masculine muskiness of oakmoss, cinnamon and sandalwood; they made it even more infatuating.

I snapped back into reality; I was driving along almost ready to run over a teenager. I braked instantaneously, coming to a slow stop a few feet away from the unfortunate boy. I returned to my previous considerations; why would vampires be at a school of all places? Unless… No. That is impossible. They couldn't be. Could they? I contemplated the possibility of the alternative diet. I had never heard of a 'vegetarian' coven, so to speak. The last I heard of someone choosing to neglect their natural thirst for human blood was through a nomad called Garrett. He spoke of a vampire who abstained from drinking human blood, adopting for the less satisfying or fulfilling alternative: animal blood. I don't recall his name (I wasn't really paying attention); I remember the nomad mentioning something about the outcast being friends with the Volturi. I knew right then that no matter who he was I would have to stay away; even though it would have been nice to meet someone with the same interests. However, the possibility seemed more and more plausible the more I thought about it. They would have much better control around humans; it would also make it easier for them to stay together as a coven, since their blood lust was suppressed. Also, Forks was the perfect town: if there was an accident, they could simply jump ship and move on. The victim would be considered collateral damage compared to the years of restraint. I, of course, did not agree with that. Immediately after my conversion I despised the thought of feeding on human life. After days of starvation, I cracked. I chose to start hunting animals. I'd rather kill an animal than a human. After decades, and indeed centuries, of practice I was now as close to immune to the exquisite call of human blood any vampire could be. I remember testing my theory by practicing medicine. It was great fun actually; it was fulfilling, helping humans. But as the years went on I realised it was much harder to convince everyone that I was as old as I claimed; my ageless face was a tell-tale sign. I decided it was much easier to avoid suspicion by posing to be my age: 17.

Returning to the dilemma at hand (I was immensely easy to distract today) I decided to meet these vampires. Observe them from a distance. With any luck, they might ignore the unconventional smell of my blood. That way, I could consider whether they were a threat or not. Before my inner voice of reason could convince me otherwise, I stepped out of the truck. Fortunately, there were only a few humans around at this point; I had reached earlier than expected. However, I still received the stares of lust from boys and glares of jealousy from girls as I stretched to grab my bag. Like I said before, I hated attention. Funnily enough, eyes constantly following my every move still placed me out of my comfort zone. Whereas some girls would enjoy the attention, I cowered from it. I walked briskly (as fast as I could while still pretending to be human) into what I presumed to be a reception; although you couldn't really tell the difference. The school was incredibly small; the campus looked more like a colony of houses converted into something that could vaguely resemble an educational facility. Can't say they were successful though. The floor was carpeted a suede, light beige colour. It was extremely rough; you wouldn't have to put any effort into getting a friction burn. The lighting was also poor. Only one bulb hung from the middle of the rather tiny room, casting a faint white glow right over the receptionist. Her desk was wooden; basically a bigger version of the normal school desks students use. She herself seemed to be in her mid-forties. Her auburn hair was tied back, although it was greying at her roots. A few wrinkles lined her forehead; her sunken, brown eyes were surrounded by crow's feet. Blacked rimmed glasses framed her slightly chubby face. She looked up and smiled.

"Isabella Swan?" She stated, with no doubt in her voice.

"Yes", I sighed. Just like I predicted; everyone already knew I was coming. They were looking for the 'new girl'. I could hear the excited whispers outside: 'Did you see the new girl?'; 'Did you notice her eyes?'; 'I don't see what's so special about her anyway.' No doubt the last one was from an overly jealous teenage girl; although I did agree with her. I returned my attention to the lovely lady.

"Good morning, Isabella." She greeted with a smile on her face.

"Bella, please" I corrected her. I never liked the name Isabella. It sounded so big, and formal, and Italian. I don't remember what my name really was though. This is just something that a lot of people called me in my younger years (or something that resembled it). I believe they called me beautiful, in whatever language they spoke. The name Bella just stuck out from my memories.

"Welcome to Forks High School, Bella. I am Mrs Chadwick." She took a step towards the corner of the room and returned with two sheets of white paper. "This is your time table. The other sheet, you will need to get signed by your teachers when you enter their class. You can come back and return it to me at the end of the day." She instructed while handing me the papers. I thanked her.

"Would you like me to escort you to your first lesson?" she asked politely.

"No, thank you. I'll find my way around. I need to get used to it soon anyway." I replied with smile. She was very friendly.

"Okay then. Hope you have a good day. You can come and find me anytime if you have any questions, or you need any help." She offered genuinely.

"Thank you, Miss. I'll keep that in mind." I headed back towards the door I had entered from. However, I was forced to stop in my tracks. It was that scent again. The vampire's. The one with the delightfully mesmerising scent. It was definitely recent; it was overpoweringly strong and fresh. He must have walked past just a few moments ago.

"Are you okay Bella?" Mrs Chadwick was concerned. She was probably wondering why I was standing in the middle of the reception with my eyes shut, showing no intention of moving.

"Yes, miss. Just figuring out which way to take for my first lesson."

"Oh, sorry I should have pointed you in the direction. Walk straight out that door; take a right until you reach a red brick building. It is the second classroom to the left as you enter. You can't miss it; it has a bright yellow door." she explained with a chuckle.

"Thank you"

I walked out the door to avoid invoking a further response from the receptionist. My curiosity was killing me; I deliberated following the scent to meet this vampire that for some reason smelt exceptionally wonderful to me. _No!_ My inner voice bellowed. _Observe. Without direct contact or confrontation_. It made sense. I had no information to judge whether or not the coven was a threat; it would be foolish to confront them. I have to try to slip under their radar. I might just have to dampen my scent as well. It would definitely invite their curiosity. I knew I wouldn't smell like a human to them; but not quite the same as a vampire either. My scent would be pleasing; unthreatening, almost familiar. It would, without a shred of doubt, cause them to investigate. I increased the intensity of my shield as I walked towards my first lesson. That should mask my scent, just enough to allow it to mix into those of the humans. However, I knew that it would a take a toll on my bloodlust; I would definitely need to hunt as soon as the end of the school day. The only reason I was forced to withstand the horrible scent and sound of that monstrosity they call a truck was because I couldn't take any chances of increasing my bloodlust. Maybe going a month without hunting wasn't such a good idea after all. Returning to the matter at hand, I decided that first I would have to decipher whether or not the vampires were a threat. If they weren't, I'd track them (silently) after hunting so that I could know their territory_. _I wouldn't want to provoke them by trespassing in the future. Also, if they were indeed vegetarian, I would need to know where they hunt. It wouldn't be a pleasant experience walking into them while they gave into their animalistic predator. Especially since they would be protecting their kill._ Great!_ My inner voice stated sarcastically. _Meanwhile, geography is going to be a blast! _Like I said, my inner voice enjoyed sarcasm a bit too much.

**AN: End of chapter 2 everyone! Again, I really shouldn't be writing this but I can't stop! It feels amazing to write these again!**

**More importantly, please tell me what you think. I want to know what you all think about the chapter. So please, REVIEW! It only takes a few seconds. Yet, it makes my day :D**

**Kay-Gemini**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: 3****rd**** chapter up everyone! I'm really excited to know what you think. I have just moved houses (again), so I don't have any internet. I am still continuing to write though, and I will upload the chapter whenever I find a place to use internet. At the moment, I am over at my friend's house, so I am stealing her broadband to do this. **

**Hope you enjoy the chapter. Please tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or any of the characters that feature in the saga. There are all the creation of Stephanie Meyer; I merely borrow them.**

**Chapter 3: **

As I walked to my class, I couldn't help but wonder about these vampires. Until yesterday, I honestly believed that I would never meet anyone I could relate to; I was alone. But somehow, simply knowing that there were others out there that shared my sentiments – who valued human lives above their thirst – was enough to lighten my mood. _Just wait a moment there Isabella_, my inner voice sneered, _you don't even know if this is true yet. For all you know they could be vampires with a strange fetish. Just don't get your hopes up before you are certain. _As much as I would like to deny that there was still a possibility that was alone, I conceded. Regardless of whether they were 'vegetarians' or not, they were not like me; I am – and always will be – alone. Moreover, if they came to know who I really was, I was certain that they would loathe me. If they knew that in the end I was responsible for them being damned to an existence of craving blood and subduing their inner predator, they would without a shred of doubt despise me. And I would accept it. A single day didn't pass where I wouldn't look at my reflection in disgust: for the things that I have done; for the pain that I have caused; for the lives that were taken. Everything in this world, whether it be power, family or money, always came down to a hierarchy. There was always someone or some people sitting at the top that either have it the best, or are responsible for the layers that are beneath them. It disgusted me that when it came to mythical creatures, I was at the top of that hierarchy. The death of millions of innocent individuals due to the natural thirst of vampires was on my head. The damned life of thousands of vampires was on my head. And if that wasn't enough, the confused, pain stricken lives of werewolf shape-shifters was also on my head. But mostly, the enmity between the two races was on my head. My self-loathing thoughts were brought to an end as I reached the canary yellow door of my first lesson.

I walked into my Geography class; every head in the room turned to where I was standing. Their gaping eyes followed me as I made my way to the teacher (Mrs Forward, I believe). I fidgeted under the awe and lust struck stares of the boys and the jealous, hate filled glares of the girls. I handed over the slip that needed to be signed to the teacher, trying my best to ignore the stares. The teacher was Mrs Forward, an aging lady with grey hair and wrinkled skin. She smiled at me, realising my discomfort at the stares. Thankfully, Mrs Forward allowed me to sit by myself at the corner of the classroom. Even though I wasn't bothered by my natural thirst for these humans' blood, it couldn't hurt to keep my distance. I was, after all, immensely thirsty; a whole month away from blood was sheer stupidity, and having to hold my shield up definitely didn't help at all. _You and your stupid challenges, _my inner voice scolded, _you had to see if you could last a month without blood. You could be putting these people in danger_. Even though I knew there was no possibility of me simply giving into my bloodlust, I knew that what I did was still reckless. As I walked towards my seat at the back all the boys followed me with their lust filled eyes, some still not recovering from shock. It always confused me why I had this effect on humans. I understand, vampires are transformed to be alluring to their prey, but I wasn't completely a vampire. Yes, I was pretty, I was designed to be, but I was nowhere close to being as stunning as some of my descendants were. I sat down cross legged as I reached my seat.

The rest of the class, ignoring the rude stares, wasn't all bad. I mean, yes it was extraordinarily boring since I had studied the same syllabus more than a dozen times before. But it was oddly entertaining, watching other people struggle with a concept that to me was ridiculously easy to grasp. I simply sat in my seat, and start playing with these humans. The temptation was too strong to ignore. I watched as their necks would rotate wildly as I poked them with my invisible, solid shield that I would transform into any object I wanted. It was especially comical when I did it to the boy sitting in front of me. Mike Newton was his name. As soon as I would stretch my shield to gently stroke him, his neck would turn rapidly, hoping that it was me. But each time he would be greeted by an incredibly bored face that was distracted, staring out of the window into the rare, blue sky above. His disappointed was hilarious. _Don't go too overboard_, my inner voice reminded me, _you need to conserve your energy. Your thirst is already more than it usually is_. Heeding her warning, I realised that I was actually extremely thirsty. The itch at the back of my neck had turned into a faint burning pain. I usually never experienced any physical signs of thirst. It must have been worse than I imagined. I sat in silence the rest of the lesson, attempting to save myself from complete boredom. As soon as the bell rang, I was up – ready to face the next lesson, which would no doubt be just as boring as this one. The boy that was sitting in front of me attempted to catch my attention. _Damn, probably shouldn't have messed with him. He is the clingy type_

"Hi, I am Mike. You're Isabella Swan right?" His quivering voice was filled with excitement and nervousness. I turned around so that I could face him. I noticed that he had a round face, with untidy blonde hair and blue eyes. He was fairly tall. He didn't have many muscles, but you could see that he wasn't made completely of fat. If he wasn't so annoying, then girls might have actually considered him as vaguely attractive.

"Hi Mike. Yes, I am although I prefer Bella." _Great, now you have to deal with this guy. See what happens when you decide to use your powers for pranks. You end up with a lost puppy!_ I walked towards my next lesson, praying that he would not follow me. Unfortunately for me, he decided that we should walk together.

"So, what do you have next, Bella?" He was polite enough. It was his desperation that got on my nerves. And he was walking way too close to me for comfort.

"Um..." I pretended to recall my timetable, even though I had it memorised. Photographic memory can be fairly useful. "English with Mr Mason, in room 21"

"Oh great, I'm heading that way too. Do you mind if I walk with you?"

"Yeah sure." _Not like he hadn't been doing that already_. Why don't humans just stay away from people who don't want their attention, even if they are attractive?

Newton insisted on walking me to my next class, and I complied. It turns out the easiest way to get rid of him was to play along. We were walking towards English when that scent hit me again; it was a different one this time though. It was the musky, masculine scent with traces of wild vanilla and oakmoss. Underneath the fragrance of the scent, the nature of the vampire was reflected in his odour: he was wild, almost untamed. It took me all my might, not to go follow it. It would certainly get rid of Newton. _You know it's not Newton that is compelling you to follow this scent._ Why was my inner voice always right? It was extremely annoying at times. _You just want to meet the honey and citrus one._ That is how she identified him – with the two undertones of his scent that distinguished him from the other vampires. I personally would just call him the irresistible one. Or my singer. I heard her chuckle ring in my head. Even though he definitely wasn't human and it wasn't his blood I craved, his scent called out to me. It stood out from all other scents – almost like it was begging me to notice him. This made my intentions for tonight much clearer. I wanted – no, needed – to track them. I needed to know who they were, if they were as pleasant as I would hope. I needed to make a decision; should I stay or move? Something told me that I was more inclined to stay.

When it came to confrontation, I was horrific. Everyone has two basic instinct embedded deep into their brain: fight or flight. Whenever I had the choice, I chose flight. Don't misunderstand: I'm not a bad fighter. If anything, my fighting abilities supersede most mythical creatures out there. But I did not want to be noticed. I especially did not want to cause a scene. I survive on solitude – no one knows where I am. I am forever on the move, never settling down in one place. My existence itself is a legend, a myth that only a few have heard. So whenever a problem presented itself, I would automatically choose flight. It was easier. There were no ties to sever. There was nothing worth staying for. This is why I found it extremely unusual that I felt at home at this place. I never settled down, but for some unforeseen reason I felt attached to this place; as if something was holding me back. Something was calling out to me, compelling me to stay. There is something here that I am just naturally gravitating towards. All I could do was hope that it wasn't trouble like always.

After Mike left, I entered the class and the same routine followed. Eyes. Silence. Glares. Make your way down to the teacher. Ignore the stares. Sit at the back of the class, on your own. I've gotten used to it now. However, it did not take the discomfort of the situation away. After the first few times I had attended school, I had learnt to not let it bother me. After a few more, I could even control the tell-tale blush that swept across my face every time I was embarrassed!

However, this time fate decided to be particularly evil. The English teacher, Mr Mason, made me sit beside a girl. Her name was Jessica Stanley. That doesn't seem bad enough when you hear it. But, God, was she annoying! All she did was ramble on and on about everything – mainly the recent gossip that held none of my interest. It seemed like she was physically incapable of keeping her mouth shut! Her intentions were clear though. Her only reason for befriending me was simple: popularity. For an incredibly stupid teenager, she was quite cunning when it came to social norms. She sensed that I was, for some unexplainable reason, known all around the school. In other words, I was becoming popular. The minute she realised this, she was determined for us to be "best friends forever!" I swear, if someone doesn't help me soon, I will duct tape her mouth shut!

Other than that, English was easy enough. It had always been a subject that caught my interest, apart from the sciences. I always found that I could completely immerse myself in a good novel, forgetting about the world for a few moments. It was brutal trying to resist shielding Jessica's mouth shut though. However, I can't say I didn't cheat. When I couldn't take it any longer, I had no choice but to increase the intensity of my shield; her annoying rants were a mere mumble then. _Thank God she shut up! _My inner voice was as frustrated by her shrieks as I was. Well, technically I made her shut up, I thought back smugly. I am well aware of the fact that talking to yourself can be considered a sign of insanity. I couldn't care less though; it's fairly fun. And after a few centuries of solitude, your inner voice is the only person there to talk to.

At the end of the lesson, Jessica forced me to come to the cafeteria with her. I swear, if this girl doesn't leave me alone soon I will trap her in her own personal bubble for the rest of eternity! As we walked in, I was hit by the delicious smell of human blood that was overpowered by the putrid, rotten smell of human food. How can anyone eat this disgrace they call food? It even makes the humans seem less appealing. _You realise we have eaten and enjoyed stuff similar to this in the past, right_? Maybe my inner voice can be almost as annoying as Jessica Stanley. _Ok, that was low; I'm not that bad,_ she reasoned. Our inner banter was brought to a sudden halt when that smell entered my nostrils. They were here. Sitting amongst the humans. Their fragrant scents intertwined into that all too familiar smell that screamed vampires. _He's not here though_, my inner voice noted at the lack of the unique honey and citrus-like scent. It was faint, probably left over from his presence in the weeks before. But the rest of them were here. As Jessica pulled me towards the cafeteria line, I looked around frantically in search for their tell-tale beauty. It wasn't long till I found them.

**AN: That was Chapter 3. I promise that Bella will meet Edward soon; probably not in the next chapter but definitely in the one after that. The next one is going to be about her being told about the Cullens. Sorry if the story is a bit slow at the moment, but these opening chapters are supposed to develop Bella as a character, so that her choices in the future can be understood.**

**So, please tell me what you think about it. It only takes a few seconds to review, yet it makes my day!**

**REVIEW! **

**.xX Kay-Gemini Xx. **


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Chapter 4 is now up. It took me a while to write this one because I wanted to make sure that I include everything about the Cullens (sans Edward) that would help describe characters for future use. **

**Hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight; I only borrow the characters for my entertainment!**

**Chapter 4:**

There were 4 of them sitting on the far right of the cafeteria. As I had predicted, my singer was nowhere to be seen. Their heads were turned down towards the table, staring at the food that piled their plates – in disgust. They were incredibly quiet; they neither spoke nor communicated in any other way – or so it seemed to human eyes. Every few seconds, they would communicate silently: by a quick glance; a moment of eye contact; the most minute movement; or the shape of their lips as they spoke too fast for the humans to register. They were impersonating humans remarkably well; every few seconds they would fidget in the most human ways possible. They would shuffle their feet, cross their arms, play with the food on their table. But they never seemed to look around. To everyone else, they appeared to be in their own little bubble – free from any interference from the others around them. But I could tell the difference. Every few seconds, they would spare a quick glace around, checking that everything was normal – that no one was suspicious.

It reminded me that I should be doing the same (acting human that is). I picked up a bottle of lemonade and an apple for my make-believe lunch. As I waited for Jessica to get her lunch, I took the opportunity to analyse these unique vampires. These 4 vampires, they were different: they were close, connected almost. They did not shy away from each other like most of their kind. They seemed to trust each other completely; no one looked at another with any suspicion or mistrust. There were two females and two males: they were definitely mated. The stunningly beautiful blonde female's hands held tightly onto the bulky, extremely muscular dark haired male. The other female was extremely small; her features were pixie-like. Her black hair was cropped short and naturally spiky, yet it did not look the least bit untidy. Her tiny hand was rested on the blonde male's elbow – a sign of comfort, no doubt. He seemed extremely uncomfortable, restless even. His eyes, however, were infinitely still, not daring to look at the enticing humans around him.

He was the one I smelt earlier – not my singer, but the wild untamed one. He was clearly having the worst time with controlling his bloodlust. But he wasn't thirsty. His eyes were only a shade darker than the golden, honey coloured topaz that marked these vampires as vegetarians. _Wow, so it is true!_ _They are a vegetarian vampire my coven._ My inner being was as shocked and pleased as I was. However, this vampire caught my eye. The others seem to be looking at him, as if they followed his every moment. They expected him to jump the humans in search for the all too appealing blood. The only one that seemed less worried for him seemed to be the pixie; when she looked at him, there was no caution in her eyes – only pure love and trust. It was clear though when you looked at the wild vampire that he wasn't thirsty: he was cautious. He was aware of his bloodlust, and he expected himself to mess up. _Wow, living with other vegetarian vampires must have taken a toll on his confidence._ She was right; it was clear that this was a man of impeccable discipline. His scars were a reminder of his no doubt torturous past. He was a survivor – a soldier. Probably from one of the vampire wars. It was also clear that the pixie was his anchor; whenever their eyes would meet, you could almost see the bond they shared. The love flowed through them, bringing the untamed soldier comfort. They did not need words, or actions to display their love for each other. They were definitely true mates.

The other couple were the polar opposite of these two. Their hands were latched together, no doubt to deter any humans from daring to approach them. They were both beautiful; the poster couple including the gorgeous blonde and hunky mass of muscle. What stood out though was the male's smile: he had the cutest dimples on the side of his cheeks. It made him seem less intimidating – almost human. The blonde, on the other hand, had a face of steel. Her features were sharp. It was clear that if looks could kill, any one she chose to look at would drop dead in an instant. She was intimidating; her beauty and persona made her the perfect 'bitch'. However, every time she would look up at her mate, her façade would slip. Her face would soften; her eyes would shine with the love that they clearly shared; her lips would turn upwards the most infinite amount (I doubt any human would be able to notice this). The conclusion of these moments was usually marked by a quick kiss. They were obviously a more physical couple than the other two. Their love, however, was just as pure. They too were true mates.

I was brought out of my analysis by an increasingly annoying shriek .

"Bella. Bella. Bella!" It was Jessica. Apparently, she had picked up her lunch and was ready to annoy the life out of me again.

"Yes, Jessica?" I tried to be polite, I swear I did. However, my voice did not sound any less annoyed than I was feeling at the moment.

"Are you alright? You seemed to have zoned out for a few moments." She seemed concerned. She meant well. At least, this time she did.

"Yes Jess, I'm fine." This time I succeeded in being more polite. My voice was calmer; it sounded more genuine.

She was about to utter something when her eyes wandered over to where mine were a few seconds ago. It didn't take long for her to realise the reason for my mental absence.

"Don't waste your time, Bella," she sneered in her annoyingly nasal soprano. "They are the Cullens. They don't, like, talk to anyone and everyone, like, stays away from them. I know they are, like, hot but they don't socialise with anyone, like, outside their family. They were all adopted by Dr Cullen, who is also like so hot. But yeah, they are all together any way." Her jealousy seeped through her voice. God, why is she so annoying! _I don't think she knows how to actually speak English,_ my inner voice joined in. Jessica wasn't done though.

"Rosalie Hale, the blond bitch, is, like, with Emmett, that hot muscular one. And Alice, the, like, short one, is with Jasper, the hot blond one. He is, like, Rosalie's twin brother. And Alice is, like, Emmett and Edward's sister. If you ask me, it's, like, sick. I mean, they are, like, brothers and sisters! That is, like, incest! The only one who is single is, like, Edward, and he doesn't, like, date any one. It's, like, no one is good enough for him. Oh, he is not sitting with them today! I swear I, like, saw him in French."

She turned around and walked away to sit with her friends. Finally her annoying rant was over! _I think she said "like" more than anything else of any foreseeable interest._ I decided that I needed to get away from her if I wanted to survive another second. I walked in the opposite direction, and sat down alone at the corner of the cafeteria – as far away as I could be from the Cullens while still being able to see them. It wasn't hard to match the names and descriptions that Jessica had provided to the faces I could see in front of me. I couldn't help but wonder about my singer. Edward – that was his name. He was the only one of the 5 vampires not present currently.

_You might see him later today_, my inner voice consoled soothingly. I was shocked at how disappointed I could feel about someone I hadn't even met yet!

_You are weird like that._

You know, we are the same person!

These inner banters were growing to be increasingly annoying. I watched the Cullens discretely, hoping that they could not feel my gaze. I knew that they heard the little explanation Jessica ever so kindly provided, and that it would have raised their curiosity. I noticed that the blond male – Jasper – seemed to be growing increasingly uncomfortable.

It wasn't his bloodlust that was bothering him though; his posture was stiff but not predatory – he was still well in control. Something else was bothering him. Suddenly, I felt something trying to penetrate my shield. Someone was trying to use their power on me. My instincts screamed at me, telling me to either completely block the interference out, or disable the vampire's power entirely. _It's him!_ My inner voice seethed furiously, _he is the one trying to manipulate us!_ I was quick to realise that I was the source for discomfort for this Jasper. He was trying to use his power on me, and he was failing.

I immersed myself into my power, allowing my senses to be controlled by it. I saw my usually clear, translucent shield turn a baby blue as it evaded every attack. The power was indeed originating from the blond. I saw as the shockwaves of power travelled from him to me, only to be reflected back. His power was different: the waves created by it were an unusual pink. That could only mean that his power had something to do with my emotions. It was rare to see a power that dealt with emotions – most of them dealt with either the mind or body directly. I returned to my normal perception, keeping my power at bay. It was clear that Jasper Hale was nervous – the lack of emotions on my part had unsettled him. I immediately weakened to intensity of my shield, enough to allow the emotions I chose to let him feel pass. I allowed my boredom and nervousness to leak through. Hopefully, that would convince him that the reason he couldn't feel my emotions for a few moments was because there weren't any strong feelings there.

He visibly relaxed – his body language no longer as stiff. I watched as he leaned slightly towards his mate – and whispered. I heard everything.

"The girl at the back of the cafeteria, behind we are sitting. She did not have any emotions for a few seconds. None at all, like she couldn't feel anything." His thick, husky baritone was confident and monotonous. He was a soldier, and he was worried.

His mate looked up at him, and threw a swift glance at me. I averted my gaze just in time, avoiding any sort of eye contact. I pretended to look right past them, out the window and into the clear blue sky.

"She is the new girl." Her tinkling, bell-like voice suited her energetic persona. "Are you sure you couldn't sense her at all Jazzy? She might have just been incredibly bored." It was clear she did not want her mate to worry; her concern for him superseded any other notion.

"It's possible, but not probable. If she was incredibly bored, her boredom would have been overpowering. I only felt it a few moments after – and it felt subdued." Damn it! Of all covens I could encounter, they had to have a soldier whose mind worked through every possible outcome every second, and was always suspicious. His words caught the attention of the other couple. The muscular male – Emmett – decided to join in.

"She seems like just another human, Jazz." His tenor was strong, much like him. "Maybe all the lust from the horny boys around threw you off for a second."

"But her emotions, they are too constant. They don't change like the fickle emotions of the other humans. They are too pure. I'm only feeling one or maximum two emotions from her."

Oops. I could feel them scrutinising my every moment through their peripheral vision. Slowly, I decided to let him feel more emotions. I slowly turned my gaze away from the window directly behind them and allowed my eyes to wander to their table. I knew they saw me looking at them. Then, I allowed some curiosity, and confusion to seep through my shield. _While you are acting human, you might as well have some fun with it._ I knew what she had in mind.

I allowed my gaze to fall at Jasper. He was attractive, even with his scars – I am sure humans considered him gorgeous. I threw some lust and general attraction towards him. That should throw him off! Even though he should have expected humans being attracted to him, he was thrown off track. His gaze widened as it turned to meet mine. I made sure to act quite effectively. I swiftly looked down to my lap, and let him feel my embarrassment. Slowly, I allowed a very human blush to grace my cheeks. That should keep him off my case.

I heard Emmett snicker. Well, his snicker was still fairly loud.

"Looks like someone has a little, human admirer," he teased quietly.

No offence to the soldier, he was pretty and all, but I wasn't attracted to him. Sure he was attractive, but so was almost every vampire you meet. He was mated. Besides, he wasn't my type. _Something tells me that your type happens to be a certain honey and citrus smelling vampire_, my inner voice teased. Stupid amazingly pleasant scented vampire!

I was too busy in my humiliation to remember that the cafeteria has windows. And that windows let wind through. And that wind carries scent when it blows. And that vampires are pretty good at identifying scents.

I watched in horror as the window behind me carried over my scent directly to the vampires' table. It was as if I was forced to stare as the vampires turned rigid, stiffening at the unfamiliar scent. _They couldn't possibly think the scent was something else, could they?_ My inner voice was just as concerned, _I mean you dampened it with your shield!_

I knew that my shield should have masked my scent to allow it to mix inconspicuously with the humans. I knew that if I had not shielded it, my scent would instantaneously make them suspicious; my musky, sweet, almost captivating yet inedible scent was definitely incomprehensively different to the smell of a normal human. I knew that my shield was enough to decrease the intensity of the scent – and that it could do nothing to change its unusual smell. I also knew that since the window was right behind me – shield or no shield – some of my scent would have definitely been carried over to the vampires. It would have stood out from the humans' call of blood; it immediately grasped their attention.

I could almost see the wheels in their brains turn rapidly as they tried to track my scent without attracting any attention. It did not take them long: I was their prime suspect. They had not smelt it ever before; it was plain logic to determine that it was from the new girl. I looked away just in time as three of them simultaneously turned their now amber eyes to me. I tried to act as human as I could; I twirled the lemonade bottle in my hand as if I was bored; I shuffled my feet, uncrossing and then re-crossing my legs. I continued to allow my boredom, nervousness, loneliness and discomfort to cross my shield. These were the only emotions acceptable – the nervousness, discomfort and loneliness would satisfy the criteria of a lonely, weird, new girl.

I knew that my shield had masked my scent – enough that it would only be a faint remnant of the usually overpowering smell. With any luck, they would dismiss it without too much consideration. I noticed that Jasper had only just turned his head. It seems like he was only following his "siblings'" movements – he was not breathing. I was quick to realise that it was because of the humans around him. _That might be helpful, _my inner voice strategized, as usual,_ he is the most trained of them all. The others might be slightly desensitised due to their abstinence from indulging in human scents. _

I eavesdropped into their conversation as the pixie – Alice – started to speak.

"Did you all smell that?" Her tinkling voice was dripping with uncertainty. It seemed as though she was unsure of what to believe.

"That girl, she's different. Her scent does not smell of blood. She is not appetising – at all!" The blonde model – Rosalie – chimed in. Her deeper, throaty voice was calm, yet laced with venom. It was clear she was not very happy with this situation.

"Calm down Rosie. Maybe her blood is contaminated. You know, like she is doing drugs or something," Emmett's voice was reassuring. He was trying to calm his mate. In all fairness, it wasn't a bad theory. It would have been better if my scent wasn't so god damn pure and sweet. _Don't take it out on our scent!_

"What are you all talking about?" the soldier, Jasper, was frustrated. He did not want to risk inhaling the mouth-watering scent of the around 30 humans present: it could send him over the edge.

"The girl whose emotions were suspicious, her scent is different Jazzy," Alice explained in her bell-like voice. It was soothing – she was comforting her mate as well.

"I told you, there is something weird about that girl," his voice was strong, yet laced with concern. You could tell that he wished he was wrong.

He stiffened even further, and closed his eyes. I felt his power attacking my shield once again. He was trying to feel my emotions. I did not hesitate to allow some more of my emotions through – a bit of uncertainty and insecurity could do no harm. It might just fool him to think that he could feel more because he was concentrating harder. I watched from the corner of my eyes as his rigid stance softened slightly.

"I felt something more. Maybe it was because I was distracted," his baritone was hopeful.

"But what about her scent? It isn't normal," Rosalie persisted. She did not seem like someone who could just let something slide.

"Maybe Emmett was right: her scent could be contaminated with drugs. That could be why she doesn't seem like someone you want to bite. But because she still has blood, it smells sweet, just not in a drink me dry kind of way." Boy, that pixie sure knows how to talk about being a vampire.

Suddenly, she stiffened up. From head to toe. I couldn't help but watch as she slowly relaxed into her mates arms. She closed her eyes, like she was concentrating hard on something. At that instant, I felt something flutter around my shield. _Looks like the soldier is feeling for your emotions again._ Not even 2 seconds later, her eyes snapped open. They were wide – in shock.

"I can't see her," she whispered ominously. This startled the others.

"What?" Rosalie asked, even though she had heard Alice perfectly clearly.

"It's all dark – I can't see her," Alice explained again. Her voice was pouring disbelief. Her hands moved to rub her forehead in a very human gesture, as if she had a headache. Why, I couldn't fathom. _What the hell is she going on about? _My inner voice was just as clueless.

"Is she going to die?" Jasper's voice was soft.

Silence followed. It seemed like Alice herself was unsure.

"At least she isn't a threat then," Rosalie stated rather coldly.

This appeared to bring everyone back to their usual self. They were used to her detached behaviour it seemed. They continued to go about their normal business, pretending to be human and not the least bit interested in any one else. You could see it in their eyes though – something had changed.

Their conversation was definitely frustrating: I had no idea what they were rambling on about. Apparently Alice couldn't see someone. Something told me they were talking about me. It just didn't add up: why couldn't she see me? I wasn't invisible. All she had to do was turn that little head of hers and she would see me in all my inhumane appearance. Mostly, why in the name of all that's good and holy, did they think that I was going to die? Unless they were planning to finish me off themselves, there was no reason to believe that my imminent doom was waiting around the corner. Like I said, it was unbelievably frustrating trying to decipher the meaning behind their words.

_Maybe she has a power_, my inner voice replied to my thoughts; _you felt something around your shield while she was concentrating_. _Maybe, it was her trying to use her power on you and your shield blocked it out._

That would make sense; what I felt was different to the empathic abilities of Jasper. Her power would have something to do with seeing people, if I wanted to explain what she meant. Looking into their mind, perhaps? But the power I felt was not aiming for my mind. Or body. It was different – much like the empath's – her power did not interfere directly with the mind or body. This was truly a gifted coven; it made them all the more dangerous. Whatever her power was, it was a power nonetheless. And a powerful one at that – I felt it when it attacked my shield. Two of the four vampires I had seen had a power. The threat they posed had increased greatly. I would have to make certain I did not cross their paths unnecessarily.

_What do we do about this situation though? They are definitely suspicious; it will only heighten if you have a lesson with them. _Even my inner voice was worried.

I replied back to my other half: let's just see where this day leads. After school, we will go hunting. After we have relinquished our thirst, we will track them so that we can observe their hunting grounds. It will help to be able to see them in their natural habitat; we could then decipher whether or not they would be aggressive towards us. If they seem peaceful – which I am hoping they do – it would be best to reveal ourselves to them. If we do not admit we are part of the supernatural world, they will eventually find it out themselves: that would only make them more hostile and less trusting.

_Make sure to keep our real identity safe though. They do not need to know._

We were strategizing. When a threat poses itself, it was only natural for us to look at the possibilities and focus on a decision. After centuries of experience, our mind was trained to think like a soldier – much like Jasper's in their coven.

_If all else fails, we could just abort mission and move. They would never know how to find us or who we were._ Contrary to what she was saying, even she did not like thinking of this particular option. Her voice was filled with sorrow as it rung in my mind.

For some reason, I am hoping it doesn't come down to that too, I relented.

Distracted as I was due to my inner musings, I didn't realise that it was the end of lunch already. The shrill ringing of the school bell penetrated my thoughts. I watched as the children filtered out of the cafeteria, heading towards their next lesson. The Cullen's were the last to leave (before me); they did not wish to mingle with the humans, and were obviously quite reluctant to attend a further two lessons.

I waited till the cafeteria was empty to make my way out. I walked briskly to my next lesson – Biology – paying no attention to any of the other students around me. _Slow down_, my inner voice scolded, _your speed is not doing you any favours in pretending to be human_. It wasn't long before I reached a glaringly mint green door. _They have the weirdest choice in door colours in this school. _It was distracting, to say the least. Enough to distract me from the underlying scent that screamed for my attention.

As I entered the room, two things happened at once. Firstly, I was overcome by the mouth-wateringly exquisite honey and citrus undertones of the scent of my singer – Edward. Which lead me to my second, more important conclusion: there was a vampire in this classroom, and he still believed that I am human.

This is going to be one hell of a lesson.

**AN: That is the longest chapter I have written so far. I decided it is more fun doing this than Maths revision for my exam.**

**Hope you liked it!**

**Please REVIEW! (It makes my day. And inspires me to write chapters quickly)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I merely borrow the characters for my amusement. **

**Chapter 5**

I searched around frantically for his inhumanely beautiful face to no avail. He was not here. However, I was certain it was his scent: I could not mistake the honey and citrus laced musky scent of sandalwood in a million years. I came to the conclusion that he must have been here a few seconds ago. _The trail is fresh_, my inner voice chimed in. Even she, who was usually indifferent to other people, had taken an interest in this vampire, Edward. His scent did not invite interest – it demanded it. And for some unexplainable reason, we were more than happy to oblige.

It took a couple of moments for me to realise that I had been standing at the door for a few seconds now. I asked politely if I could enter, and apologised to the teacher for being late. Making my way to his desk at the front of the classroom, I dutifully ignored all the eyes that scrutinised my every move. Even the teacher seemed a little flustered by my presence.

_Why are human reactions always so easy to predict? _My inner voice stated in her throaty voice laced in disappointment;_ it almost takes away the excitement and joy of meeting new people. _

This time, she was being uncannily sarcastic: the adrenaline of meeting new people had worn off after a mere decade of education. I waited patiently for the teacher to sign my sheet, declaring that I had indeed attended my lesson. His old, gravelly voice was hesitant when he spoke.

"Please take a seat at the front desk of the left row. Your new lab partner will be here momentarily; he has just left to collect some worksheets for me." His shaking hand pointed to the desk I was required to sit in. Obeying his request, I followed his hand and sat in the chair next to the wall. What I did not expect was to be once again overwhelmed by the potent, enticingly irresistible scent of my 'singer'. I had just been forced to sit next to him. A vampire. A vampire who could detect the supernatural mist in my scent almost instantaneously. A vampire I was supposed to be hiding from.

Then – if this was supposed to be a misfortune – why, in the name of all rational thought, was I so ecstatic to meet this vampire?

I inhaled deeply; it would definitely be hard to concentrate with a smell so inviting dancing around my senses. I looked down on the floor, allowing the scent to completely control me. It was a blissful feeling. I don't understand! How can the mere scent of someone hold such great power over me? I had not even met this man, and yet all my thoughts only had his name written on it. Edward. Edward Cullen. A faceless vampire, who could quite possibly be out for my blood after he realised I wasn't an ordinary human.

_All this self-loathing is giving me a headache_, she complained.

We share the same senses: I have the headache, I replied to her consistent moaning.

However, the headache was not enough to distract me from his fresh scent. He was here. I heard as his footsteps thumped rhythmically on the floor, getting louder as he came closer. He walked through the door – past where I was sitting – and set the mountain of paper down on the teacher's desk, politely accepting his gratitude. I couldn't move. My gaze remained on the floor, analysing ever footprint, stain and dust molecule to avoid looking at this vampire. I slowly curled up into a ball on my seat, praying to disappear from this world before I had to face my singer.

I heard his footsteps slow down: he had noticed my presence. His movements became slower, more cautious as he made his way to sit down on his chair – the one right beside me. My determined eyes did not waver from their gaze on the tiled floor. They continued looking down, even when his black leather dress shoes came into vision. Instead, I started noticing the immaculate polish of the shoes; it was almost possible to see your reflection at the perfect shine. I registered how they seemed slightly old fashioned, when paired with dark denim jeans, compared to the trainers and jeans duo of today's youth. I watched as they disappeared as he sat down on his seat, only a few centimetres away from me. My eyes slowly turned to my lap – my hands had started smoothing out non-existent creases on my light, faded jeans. I don't know why I was so determined not to direct my gaze at him; for some reason I had a feeling that no good would come from it.

_Stop being childish! The more you delay this, the more suspicious and paranoid he is going to get. Just look at him,_ she ordered.

And I did just that. Slowly – as if the whole world depended on this moment – my eyes lifted from their downward gaze. They began their gradual ascend from my lap to his muscular shoulders. His vertically striped, cerulean blue shirt contrasted exquisitely against his perfectly pale, ghostly white flawless skin. I say perfect, but for supernatural beings like me, the prominent crescent shaped scar on the curve of his neck that confirmed he was indeed a vampire was visible. And yet, for some reason, the scar only added to this masterpiece of perfection. His shirt was pushed up his elbows with the first two collar buttons undone, making the outfit seem much more casual, while teasingly revealing the contours of his well-defined muscles. His posture was strong, as his lean, muscular body sat up straight against the chair. After the few seconds that seemed like a millennia, my eyes reached his face.

I was speechless.

Saying that his beauty surpassed that of Adonis was an understatement. His boyish features were perfectly symmetric, with no inconsistency or error. His cherry red lips were neither thin nor plump – achieving a delicate balance between both. His chiselled nose was long, straight and thin, complementing his lean, defined face. His eyebrows weren't thick, but simply well filled, forming a wonderful, slight arch that framed his face. He had high cheekbones, that only accentuated his perfectly, chiselled face. His chin was lean and prominent, but did not jut out. His tousled, untidy hair was the most unusual shade of auburn – the reddish brown looking more like polished bronze because of its lustrous shine. Instead of looking tardy though, his out of bed look was – dare I say it – sexy, the kind of effect it would take a team of make-up artists to recreate. With inhumanely pale, ghostly white skin and his infinitely still posture, it was no surprise that he resembled the statue of an ancient Greek God. I hesitated to look in his eyes, fearing that they would meet mine. Yet defying my common sense, I caught a quick glance. His eyes were the richest shade of amber that seemed to be a gateway into his pure soul. Those liquid topaz circles had the shine that the most polished gem would fail to compare. The golden iris contrasted beautifully against the dark pupils of his eyes. They were looking down on his table, staring at his biology notebook – probably to avoid my stare.

_Not anymore_, my inner voice informed in a hushed whisper, which was struck with awe.

His eyes had moved: the pair of rich amber topazes were now staring directly at me – looking right through me, deep into my soul. It was at that moment that the world as I had known it for centuries changed. It only took one second for everything I took for granted in this world to collapse and fall to pieces in front of me. It was that moment when I watched as all the feeble ties I had in my life – my choices, my likes and dislikes, my friendships, hopes and dreams, my remote connections to any person that walked this earth – were severed effortlessly. It was at that moment that all the loose, flimsy ties gravitated and connected to this one being in front of me, transforming into indestructible cables that joined this vampire and I for the rest of eternity. It was that moment that I realised what had just happened.

_Holy shit, we imprinted!_ She whispered, shocked yet still too filled with awe, love and adoration for this stranger that sat in front of us to sound regretful.

It was an unexplainable feeling – my whole universe seemed to revolve solely around him. The only reason for my pointless existence was now this vegetarian vampire. I never thought that when I found the reason for my existence that it would be an unknown vampire, rather than some greater meaning or purpose in life. But frankly, I couldn't care less. This extraordinary being had captivated me in a second, now forever holding my heart, soul and mind. By just looking at me, he had conquered what was previously insurmountable: he had unknowingly achieved what countless others had tried and failed to accomplish. He had conquered me.

I held his gaze for a few more seconds, allowing the energy and electricity to flow between us, lighting a fire deep within my very soul. It could not be relinquished. Tearing my eyes away from him, I tried to forget what I thought I had seen flicker in his eyes.

For a moment – as brief as it might have been – I had seen a fraction of what I was feeling reflect in his eyes. I don't know if it had actually happened or if it was a figment of my imagination, but regardless, it filled me with hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, he could take an interest in me. That maybe, if I give it some time, he would grow to reciprocate the feelings I had for him. I had heard stories about imprinting, and how the imprint was affected along with the imprinter. Never once had a prayed so hard for a story to be true – that there could be a faint chance he may feel the same in the future.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him fidget in an extremely human gesture. He was hesitating – as if he wanted to do something but could not understand how. A few seconds later, just as he had opened his mouth to speak, Mr Banner called the class to order. It physically hurt to look away from Edward; the pain originated from deep in my chest and grew as I looked the other way.

_Going home today is not going to be easy, _she warned casually.

I watched as Edward (his name vibrated perfectly in my head) reluctantly turned his head away from me. He had probably realised the difference in my scent and become curious, if not suspicious, of me. I won't lie: it was difficult – nearly impossible – to try and pay attention to what Mr Banner was saying. Hell, it was impossible to feign a remote sense of interest in what he was saying. All I registered from him was an indistinct mumbling.

Suddenly, I felt something attacking my shield.

_Seriously, you'd think the empath and weird pixie was enough for one day! _My inner voice was just as panicked and annoyed as me, her shouting resonating deep in my mind.

I submerged into my power, protecting myself from the on-going assault. What I saw shocked me. It was my singer – Edward Cullen – that was trying to get through my shield. The shockwaves of power roared from him, attacking and reflecting off the translucent wall that I had erected. His power was coloured the brightest shade of violet – it attacked the mind directly.

He was a mind reader! My imprint was a bloody mind reader! Had I not had enough for one day! First, I find out that the school I attend is the personal playing ground of 5 vampires. Next, I find out that they are actually vegetarian vampires. Not to forget, that 3 of them had powers that were pretty amazingly powerful. And if that wasn't enough I imprint on one of said vampires, coincidently the one's whose scent is so irresistible that it is driving me to the brink of insanity. Did I mention he also happens to be a mind reader? Just amazing. Just bloody amazing!

_Tone down the sarcasm dear. It's not very lady-like_, my inner voice teased.

She was having fun. After all that had happened today, she was having fun. Trust her to find joy in the most adverse circumstances. That is not a compliment! I shouted back as I heard her chuckle.

I continued to block out Edward's power. But, boy, was he persistent. I could almost feel the frustrating pouring off from him as he tried desperately to read my mind. It was actually taking a toll on my blood lust. Continuously defending yourself from fairly efficacious powers was hard work – the faint burn at the back of my neck had transformed into the painful fire most vampires feel when they are thirsty. I tried to concentrate on what Mr Banner was saying, rather than on the continual blows to my shield, or the origin of these attacks.

"So, class, whoever you are sitting neck to will be your lab partner for the rest of this semester. They will also be the ones you produce your end of semester reports with," Mr Banner announced, much to my horror and excitement.

"The practical we will be doing today is a teaser for the main topic of the next few weeks. I will give you some slides, with onion skins. You have to determine which stage of mitosis the slide is in and correctly label them on the sheet. The orders are completely random, so don't even try to copy off another pair. As the more observant of you may have noticed, all the equipment is already on your desks. You may begin." He explained the task monotonously, taking no joy in teaching growing adults.

I guessed Edward had been trying to ignore me: who else sits next to a complete stranger and not even bother introducing themselves. Not that I didn't know him already, but nonetheless – the point still stands. I had a feeling that it would be one hell of a slow lesson if we refused to talk to each other like we were currently. But to my surprise, he had other plans.

"I'm sorry. I never had the chance to introduce myself. I am Edward Cullen. You're Bella Swan, right?" Even though it was phrased as a question, it was clear he already knew the answer. However, I was too amazed to answer promptly. His velvet voice was smooth and musical, his baritone resonating vibrations that shook my inner core. He was perfectly polite, but I could hear the curiosity and frustration in his voice. He was dying to know why he couldn't read my mind.

"Um… yes. Nice to meet you Edward," was my stuttered response.

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied like the gentleman I predicted he was. The old fashioned, charming response only made me fall even deeper for my imprint, if that was possible.

He looked down on the sheet that Mr Banner had distributed to the class. Reaching across the table to slide the microscope towards the middle, my face was filled with the vision of his perfectly toned arms as they stretched. His scent washed over my senses once again; I am sure my eyes were now visibly darker than before.

"Ladies first," he offered in the ever so musical voice that made my knees weak.

I tilted the microscope towards me as I adjusted the slide onto its screen. Leaning forward, I glanced briefly at the slide before coming to the quick conclusion.

"Anaphase," I replied confidently. I had done this practical too many times to be unsure of the answer.

"Mind if I look?" he asked politely, with a sly smirk on his face. He wished to prove me wrong.

"Go ahead."

I watched as he cast a brief glance into the microscope before saying the word I was expecting to hear.

"Anaphase," he agreed, dejected yet impressed. He quickly jotted down the answer in his elegantly cursive handwriting. _Should have seen that coming really – he seems to be perfect in every way, shape and form._

We carried on this procedure 4 more times: each time we would check the result, hoping to prove the other wrong. It was an impossible task though – vampires have photographic memories. They are always right. I happened to share this trait – amongst many others – with them. I could sense that he was itching to ask a question. Every few seconds, he would start to speak but stop before the words even came out of his mouth. Even when he looked like a gaping fish, I thought he was perfect. Stupid imprinting.

_Don't diss the imprinting. At least you got someone that seems like a nice guy. Imagine if fate decided to be extra cruel and made your imprint a twat_. She had a point. Have an optimistic view on life. Half full not half empty. This was quite unlike her though.

I see that someone has taken a liking to our imprint as well. What happened to the predator in you? I teased. Payback's a bitch.

Mr Banner chose this moment to come to our table as we weren't working. He presumed that we hadn't even started the practical yet. Needless to say, he was quite shocked when he saw the sheet answered completely and correctly, in a matter of minutes.

"Don't you think you should have allowed Isabella to have a go, Edward?" he asked impatiently.

"Bella," he corrected automatically in his glorious velvet voice. I don't think I will ever get used to that. He continued, "Actually, sir, Bella completed 3 of the 5 tasks."

Mr Banner was visibly impressed. He turned to address me this time. "Have you done this practical before, Bella?"

"Yes, but not with onion skin," I replied. Well, I had done it over a few dozen times, but he didn't need to know that.

"Whitefish Blastula?" he asked, obviously intrigued.

"Yes," I replied politely.

He walked away mumbling something along the lines of: "it's a good thing you two are partners then."

A troubled expression graced Edward's face – it didn't seem to belong. His eyebrows furrowed, causing wrinkles to appear on his usually smooth forehead. I watched as he inhaled deeply. Realising it was my scent that had disturbed him, I braced myself for the questions that were bound to follow.

"You seem… different," he whispered hesitantly.

"I like to think of it as being unique," I mumbled softly, falling into the trap he had unknowingly laid out. His whisper would have been inaudible to humans, even if they were sitting as close as we were. I had just blown my entire cover, in the matter of seconds. He was talking to himself, and I had stupidly replied.

I looked directly at him: his eyes were wide in shock. He did not expect to be right. Now, he did not know what to do – he was confused whether to confront me, revealing his secret or to pretend this did not happen.

"How did you hear that?" he asked. It was a smart move: he revealed nothing about himself, putting the pressure completely on me.

_Not if I have anything to do about this. If I go down, I will make sure to take my imprint with me!_

"With my ears," was my heavily sarcastic reply.

"I barely whispered it; no normal person could have heard it," he replied smartly. Yet again, he gave nothing away. I knew there was no escaping this – I had to deal with the consequences now. Time to take him down with me.

"There is nothing normal about you too, either," I replied defensively. I didn't mean to sound harsh; that is just how it came out.

"What do you mean?" he asked, feigning innocence while he was fully aware of the implicit meaning.

"You are as much of a human as I am, Edward," I replied simply, controlling my tone of voice this time.

"How much do you know?" he asked, in a whisper even lower and quieter than before.

"More than you or anyone else knows about your kind," I replied rather ominously. It was fun being cryptic.

"What are y– " he was interrupted by the familiar high pitched ringing of the bell.

As much as I wanted to stay by Edward's side and just relish in his presence, I couldn't help but feel relieved. This was the perfect excuse to ignore him – and not indulge any details.

I swiftly – maybe a bit too swiftly for humans – grabbed my bag and ran out of the class, dodging past Edward's chair. I chuckled as her voice filtered through the rest of my scattered thoughts:

_Gives a whole new meaning to 'saved by the bell'. _

**AN: and that was chapter 5. Tell me what you think. Hope you enjoyed it.**

**Please REVIEW. Without them, I don't know if people even like my story. Also, the more reviews I get, the quicker I write the next chapter **

**Kay-Gemini **


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Thank you so much for all the support I received during the last chapter. **

**Thank you to: ChickenBPieXxXx, darlene10104, Copymachine, LordXeenTheGreat, Aurora, Mickey, Cassie, vkballerina, CarefullyiGuarded, Fonteyn77, Cerfeeayearh, Leah and Sweetie7smiled for posting their reviews for the last chapter. **

**Because of all this, I decided to upload more of the story than I originally intended. The chapter below is actually the combination of two chapters (chapter 6 and 7 in the original story). So, this is now the longest chapter I have written (just over 4,300 words!) Hope you enjoy it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Chapter 6: **

As I rushed over to gym class, the reality of the situation slowly started to sink in. I had just imprinted. On a vampire. Who doesn't know what I am. And if that wasn't enough, I had just blown my secret. For centuries, I had been perfect at keeping every one away and protecting my identity – I had never once slipped up. However, 2 minutes in the room with my imprint, and I babble on, spilling the one thing I swore to protect. From the moment he started speaking in his gloriously melodic voice, all rational thought was lost. I couldn't control what I was saying – I didn't want to control what I was saying.

I never thought I could imprint. I knew that the werewolf race had received this ability, but I always figured that it was a survival mechanism. In the anger driven fury that werewolves have for a life, an imprint is what grounds them: their imprints keep them sane. They anchor them to the world – the love they share allows them to keep their anger and instincts at bay. Also, for a lot of cases, it's there to ensure that the werewolf gene and heritage passes on, so that the race continues.

After mastering the instinctual reaction of my werewolf and vampire sides, I just assumed that I had no need for an imprint anymore. I spend centuries believing I couldn't imprint – or love another for that matter. So, imprinting was a shock on its own: pair that up with the feelings that imprinting generates and the struggle sky rockets to a whole new level.

It hurts: it physically hurts to be away from him. With every step I take in the opposite direction, the pain in the centre of my chest – in my heart – increases exponentially. Every step only increases the gaping hole in my chest that can only be filled by his presence. Sitting next to him, I was content; after centuries, I had finally felt whole. For some reason – I belonged! There, sitting beside him, made me feel more at home than any other place I have ever been. It's excruciating to even think of ever leaving him – I wouldn't survive; the smallest distance between us feels like light years already.

_I never thought we could feel this way; _she shared, as shaken up by recent events as I was – if not more_. It's unnerving. _

I couldn't agree more.

I had only known him for a few minutes, yet I couldn't get him out of my head. Every action, every decision, every choice now revolved around him. There was no way I could leave this town now – it would be impossible to be separated from my imprint.

_We haven't even claimed him as our imprint, yet we feel the intensity of these emotions_. She was horrified. The sheer strength of the feelings resonating within us was disturbing.

My mind couldn't help but wander to what she had said. It was filled with images of him, specifically his handsome, perfect face. As it came closer. And his eyes closed. And his face turned. And our lips touched.

No! I can't be thinking this way! I refuse to be controlled by any one! Even if he is my imprint.

_You know this is something we have no control over_, she whispered softly. She was just as afraid as I was; _it is instinct, _she continued_, we roll with the punches. We have no say in the matter._

My sudden outburst of anger disappeared instantaneously. I knew. There was no point fighting – it was an unwinnable war; she knew that better than anyone else. He was my imprint. My life now would forever be dependent on him. From the legends I have heard, an imprint unconsciously has unbreakable control over you. You love them, regardless of who they are. You bend to their will – forever aiming to please them. And that would be my life now. Madly in love with a vampire, answering to his every beck and call.

Imprinting is supposed to be magical occurrence: two soul mates, perfect for each other, are joined by a bond so strong that nothing can come between. For me, on the other hand, it was a curse. I could not be tied down so powerfully by one person. Not for my safety, but for my imprints.

People – evil people – have been after me, ever since they heard of my existence. They would stoop to any level to get to me. I could not put my imprint and his coven in danger. I refuse to.

It would be impossible to break ties with them though. I could not – I physically could not be away from my imprint without experiencing excruciating pain, which only increased with distance. Now that he knows that I know about his kind – and that I am not human – they would not stop at anything to track me down.

"Bella! Wait up," called a dreadfully familiar voice; but not the one I had secretly hoped for. It was Newton.

_God I don't need to deal with that puppy after all that has happened today! _

"I thought me and Eric could walk you to gym," he said as he got closer. He was followed closely by Eric Yorkie. Unlike Mike, Eric was the poster nerd. He had pale skin, which was covered in recovering spots. With huge, black rimmed glasses that shadowed his face, he wasn't the most pleasing to look at. However, underneath the greasy hair and huge glasses, I could see that he was decent looking. If he carried himself with more zest and confidence (and ditched the glasses and greasy hair), after his teenage acne phase passes, he could be quite attractive. His features were not bad: they were simply over shadowed by others' perception of him. I felt sorry for him; he was a decent guy – but he followed Newton around like a pet just because he didn't seem to have any other 'friends'.

"Um… thanks?" I replied untruthfully, yet it came out more like a question. The rest of the journey was spent in an awkward silence. I had no intention of talking to them – especially Newton. If they wanted to follow me around, then go ahead. Just don't expect my co-operation.

couldn't help but wonder how I would explain my situation – especially my identity – to the Cullens. I couldn't just tell them. Surely, I would have to stick to the age old "vampire with a gift" excuse. I was interrupted by the frustrated shouts of my inner being.

_Lying will not work against your imprint. You know this! If he asks you to tell the truth, you will be compelled to. It is out of your control, so stop fighting it!_ She bellowed furiously. She was resigned; she had given in.

I relented to her logic – there was no escape route. It frustrated me to no end that I was not in control of my own choices at the moment. I was bound by the stupid laws of imprinting. And at the moment, Eric and Newton were not helping with their obvious staring. I sighed in relief when I saw the girls' locker room immerge behind the rest of the rooms that were hiding it from view.

I curtly nodded towards Mike and Eric (my way of saying goodbye) and walked into the girls' locker room. The sight in front of me was horrific.

_Have girls no shame in this day and age_? She asked, disgusted at the sight in front of me.

There was a clear division between two different types of girls: the shameless, and the embarrassed. The 'shameless' walked around in nothing but their underwear, talking to their friends, usually about how they have recently lost some weight. They made no effort to hide their bodies, rather flaunting them around for everyone to see. They disgusted me. Then, there was the other group – the ones cowering away from the skinny, practically naked girls. They looked away politely whenever the others changed, and undressed and dressed themselves as quickly as their human hands would allow.

I made my way to the empty spot at the corner of the room: I had no intention of attracting any sort of unwanted attention to me. I dumped my bad onto the bench, and searched around for my gym clothes. When I found them, I walked over to a cubicle to change.

_No way in hell are we undressing in front of these people!_

I know – why else would I be in a cubicle? I shot back sarcastically. The stress of recent events had taken a toll on my patience; I was not in the best of moods.

I quickly changed into my gym clothes. They were simple – a pair of grey yoga pants and a comfortable, red t-shirt along with trainers. I walked out, ignoring the girls that stared at me – probably because I just changed in the cubicle. Forgive me for having some dignity.

I noticed though, that they definitely had none. The 'shameless' had now dressed themselves in what I could only call underwear. They wore the tiniest shorts paired up with the skimpiest vest tops you could find. What's wrong with some of today's girls? Seriously, do they not understand the concept of decency?

I walked out of the locker room (thank god for that) and made my way to the sports field. I quickly tied my hair back into a messy ponytail, not wanting to get them on my eyes while we play whatever game we were playing today. I introduced myself to the teacher, Couch Clapp, who was a middle-aged balding man wearing a blue baseball cap. He signed my slip, again confirming that I did not skive off school, and asked me to pair up with someone. We were playing volleyball. Sounds harmless enough, but paired with my inhuman strength and inability to control it that well when it comes to sports, it was a recipe for disaster.

"Bella, over here," shouted none other than Newton, "you can be my partner today!" He was waving his hands frantically, trying to get my attention.

Some people just don't know how to take a hint. I did not want to be anywhere near Newton. I thought I had made that perfectly clear through my hostility. But, who knows, maybe hating him for a lesson might distract me from my imprint and the pain our separation brings. I was walking towards him when I was stopped by a tiny, snow white hand on my shoulder.

It was Alice Cullen – my imprint's pixie 'sister'. Her lips were pulled up in an open, friendly smile. Her youthful doe eyes had the strangest sparkle to them – glistening with the sense of wisdom beyond this world. Her charcoal black, spiky hair seemed lively, rather than untidy, suiting her vivacious personality. She was looking up at me, with a smile on her face – it was impossible to not like her.

"Hi Bella," she greeted enthusiastically, "I'm Alice Cullen. Why don't you be my partner instead?" Without waiting for an answer, her tiny hand grasped mine and dragged me away from Newton. Ignoring the scowl on his face, I turned to the pixie like vampire, following her lead. When we were at a distance where we could converse without the humans hearing, she stopped.

Turning around, her previously amicable face transformed into a mask of concern. She was definitely not hostile, but it was clear she wasn't here for polite conversations. She dropped her hand from my arm and looked directly into my eyes.

"Ok Bella, spill. Edward told me everything. I want the truth. How do you know about us?" she asked urgently, too quiet for the humans to hear.

It was impossible to be rude to this vampire. She was too lively and energetic. There was a bounce in her ballerina-like grace and a lilt to her voice that made her too pleasant to be rude to.

"I'm sorry Alice, I understand you deserve answers. But now is really not the best time to do this," I replied politely, while gesturing with my eyes to the amount of people that were staring at us.

Apparently, the new girl and a Cullen conversing was strangely interesting to them – no doubt the new gossip. Understanding the all too nosy attitude of these teenagers, she nodded: I was off the hook – for now.

"Yes, you're right. Humans can be a bit too nosy sometimes," she complained in her bell-like soprano, while gauging my reaction at her use of the word humans; "But after gym, you are coming with me and my family to explain to us all. You had us very concerned." She raised her perfectly shaped, right eyebrow, daring me to contradict her. I could sense that she was a force to be reckoned with if angered.

Even though the prospect of meeting 5 vampires at once scared me, I refused to let it show. "Sure," I agreed quickly, "I owe you all an explanation. I am, after all, trespassing over your territory." Her face immediately lit up when she heard my consent. It once again returned to the friendly, open smile that suited her personality.

"Don't be silly, Bella. You are not trespassing over our territory," she emphasised to prove how ridiculous my comment seemed to her, "But, we will love to have you home. See you after gym!" she shouted. Her soothing, high pitched voice had become louder in her excitement, enough that some of our neighbouring classmates looked up in shock after they heard. I didn't fail to realise that she had never mentioned anything about meeting her at her house, deep within their territory. However, I didn't have the heart to question her after seeing her dance away with excitement.

After this incident, we didn't communicate for the rest of the lesson. Instead, we played volleyball as humanly as we could, taking extreme care to not hit the ball too hard. When it came to sports, I was rubbish at controlling my strength – probably because I didn't play much. Besides, playing sports with humans is innately boring. You have to be so careful around them: one wrong move and they could drop dead. I decided faking an injury might be the best option.

So, when the ball was aimed a few feet in front of me, I made an elaborate scene of reaching for the ball, and tripping over my undone laces. If I was human, I would have said that I banged my head pretty hard – it could be passed as disorientating. After that, Couch Clapp let me sit out for the rest of the lesson, opting to make me watch instead.

So, for the remainder of the day, I sat in the corner and watched as the rest of the humans (and one tiny, pixie of a vampire) played volleyball. It wasn't the most exciting of all activities, but it wasn't the worst either. For some reason, I felt oddly at peace with Alice: she didn't invite caution like the rest of the Cullen's or vampires. Maybe it was because of her tiny size, or pixie appearance, or friendly attitude but I couldn't imagine being afraid of her. If anything, I couldn't help but wonder how someone so petite could be so full of energy.

The games carried on, and before long the familiar shrill sound announced the end of school. I walked back to the locker room, planning to grab my bag and go hunting in my gym clothes. At least they won't be missed if they get torn. However, I noticed that even though Alice had not changed in the locker rooms, she followed me into them regardless.

Of course, she didn't quite trust me to stick to my word. Why would she? She only just met me, and I freaked her out by revealing that I knew about vampires.

Where ever I went, Alice trailed along a few feet behind, keeping her distance but making sure I knew of her presence. She followed me after I grabbed my bag, and walked to the school lockers to leave my books in. I understood that she couldn't trust me, but for some reason that I couldn't comprehend, her lack of faith annoyed me. After I had safely placed my books, I turned around to confront the pixie.

"Alice, I know that you don't trust me, but I'm not going to run away. I know that you deserve an explanation, and I am not going to go back on my word. Regardless, I couldn't even if I tried. I know I am no match for a coven of 5 on their territory. Please, just trust me – I will do whatever you have asked of me." In a fury of erratic hand gestures, and high pitched rambling, I spilled my heart out to this unknown vampire-pixie.

And to my surprise - she laughed!

"No silly," she corrected in between her tinkling giggles, "I actually want to hang around with you. I do trust you. I just know that we are going to be great friends!" To add emphasis to the feelings behind those words, she jumped at me, hugging my torso in an unusual (for me) display of friendship.

Shocked at her actions, this was the best reply I could mutter: "oh."

_No kidding. I think she really is a pixie. This little, likeable creature cannot be a vampire,_ my inner voice stated in shock. I couldn't help but agree: Alice was the most unusual vampire I had ever seen.

Slowly, I put my arms around her tiny shoulders, hugging her back awkwardly. Sensing my discomfort, she pulled back with a large smile on her face. She grabbed my hand and practically dragged me to the school parking lot. I noticed that we were making our way to the most expensive cars in the school: a bright red BMW 5 series along with a classic silver Volvo. I panicked slightly as I realised that I would be meeting the Cullens, even before I had the chance to quench my thirst. I would much rather meet them fully hunt and ready. Alice must have felt me stiffen up, because she turned around to try and comfort me.

"Don't worry Bella, we will not hurt you. I understand that it must be hard meeting a new coven, especially as large as ours, but I promise we don't mean any harm. My family is actually very friendly and even if they did try to hurt you, Edward and I would not allow it" she said soothingly, although her eyes glistened with mischief when she mentioned Edward. I did not like where this was going.

"It's OK Alice, I wasn't even thinking about that," I reassured her, trying my best to sound convincing. "It was something else, don't worry about it."

"You know – that is going to drive Edward crazy," she said, trying to be casual, as we had reached the silver Volvo.

"What?" I questioned.

"You. He can't read your mind. It frustrated him to no ends. Actually, come to think of it, even Jazz couldn't sense your emotions," she stated, curiosity evident in her voice. She wanted to know if that was my power. However, before I could reply, her eyes widened in panic as she realised something I could not quite understand. Not a moment later she spoke in a hurried whisper:

"Hold on, did Edward not tell you that he could read minds?" she asked rapidly, worrying that she had spilled a secret that Edward wanted guarded.

"Alice, calm down! It's fine. I already knew, even though he didn't tell me. I assure you, you did not breech his trust." This seemed to calm her, while again increasing her curiosity.

"How did you know then?" she asked immediately, obviously interested in knowing how I found out.

I hesitated before replying. "I felt him shifting through my mind when he tried reading it."

"I never knew it was possible to feel him while he read it. Maybe it's because we are so used to it," she muttered, distracted by her mate as she caught sight of him walking towards us.

I followed her gaze: after noticing me, Jasper had stopped. He turned around and warned the other two, Emmett and Rosalie, who were walking behind him of my presence. Swiftly, he turned around and increased his pace, wanting to protect his mate from what he considered a threat. I was so engrossed in watching their movement, that I had not noticed the enthralling scent that announced its presence. He was here. I could smell his honey and citrus scent – it was overwhelmingly fresh. Not a moment later, I felt his presence directly behind me.

Turning around, I was greeted by his intense, deep onyx eyes as they once again stared right through me. The liquid, golden topazes were long gone – they had darkened into a pair of burnt black onyxes. I stumbled back a few steps, needing to a put some distance between our bodies. I was stopped by the cursed silver Volvo.

"Hello, Bella," he greeted in his baritone; the harmony of his voice had me leaning against the car for support.

"Hi," I managed to speak in a whisper, frantically trying to avoid his gaze. I had only known him for a lesson, yet he enticed such a response from me. It was distressing yet comforting all at once.

We said nothing after, lapsing into a comforting silence while waiting for his 'siblings' to make their way to us. He was standing beside me, still too close to allow any sense of clarity in my thoughts. His hand would occasionally brush against mine, sending strong currents up my arm and right to my heart. Something told me it was not an accidental innocent gesture on his part. Electricity flowed freely between us, connecting us while lighting a fire deep within my core. He could feel it too. The connection. The bond. The energy. It was shared – a mutual experience. The reason for his darker eyes. He could feel the sparks every time his hand would graze mine. He could feel the bond of the imprint, connecting us as two halves of a whole.

It was fascinating yet disturbing.

He was a stranger to me – as I was to him. Yet we had this energy fuelling us – begging to bring us closer, like an imprint should be. I tried with all my might to ignore the current that flowed through us, igniting emotions I had never felt before. I looked everywhere but him, knowing that my resolve to keep a distance would break if I met his eyes again.

Alice caught my attention. She was smirking. The little pixie had the smuggest look on her face as she raised her eyebrow at me, silently commenting on the obvious chemistry between me and Edward. She took delight in the situation, loving the connection Edward and I shared. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she no doubt planned a devious method of bringing us together. I was going to kill the little pixie.

The others had finally made their way over, and stood on the other side of the car. The division within the coven was clear at this moment: they were unsure of how to react to my presence. Jasper was looking at Alice with concern, obviously not wanting her standing so close to a perfect stranger. In unison, their eyes moved from me to Edward, silently demanding an explanation. It was Alice who broke the palpable tension the silence had created.

"Hey everyone! This is my new friend, Bella. She will be coming over for dinner!" she screamed the last sentence in obvious excitement, tearing through our already over sensitive ear drums. Everyone but Jasper winced at her high pitched squeal – instead, he was looking at her with concern, confusion, love and adoration.

_Guess he got used to it after a lifetime_, my inner voice remarked flippantly. She had been quite quiet for the past few hours: it was almost worrying.

The bewildered expressions of their faces did not go unnoticed. They looked at Edward, seeking confirmation. He nodded curtly, supporting Alice's statement. Their bewilderment turned to confusion as they realised what she was saying was true and that I was indeed invited over. Rosalie's face, however, was turned down in disgust and rage. She did not remotely like this arrangement. Turning her eyes to me, she directed all the anger she could muster in her glares.

_Hah, no blond bitch can intimidate us, _my inner voice defended.

She was right: after all we had been through, the steely glares of one vampire had no effect on us. Instead, I smiled sweetly at her, further provoking her anger.

Edward decided to break the obvious tension.

"Why don't you three go ahead? I'll bring Alice and Bella and follow you home," he suggested politely.

Although it was a suggestion, it was clear that there was no room for discussion. Rosalie walked away in a huff, tearing open her car door and sitting in the driver's seat. She impatiently honked her horn at the two brothers, ordering them to get in as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Alice had gracefully danced her way into the Volvo, choosing to sit in the back. Assuming this was Edward's car, I realised it would be overflowing with his delicious scent inside.

Smiling an oddly appealing, crooked smile, he opened the passenger seat, politely ushering me into the car. I watched as he quickly made his way over to the driver's side and stepped inside, sitting right beside me.

_May god have mercy on us_, my inner voice prayed, overcome by his enticingly exquisite scent.

I squirmed in the black, leather seat of the car: it was going to be a long journey.

**AN: So, I hope you enjoyed that chapter.**

**Depending on the amount of reviews I get, I might just throw in some extra information in the next chapter as well. So, Bella will meet the Cullens (properly) including all small talk and conversations in the next chapter. I might just throw Bella's story in as well, if I get loads of reviews (hint, hint!).**

**In all seriousness though: reviews tell me that you actually like the story, or allow me to consider your comments. If I don't know that people actually like the story, then I have no reason to upload it onto fanfiction. **

**Hope you liked it. Please, REVIEW! (The more reviews I get, the more I give back :D)**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Hello everyone! **

**Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter: Cassie, JTStyle (for the multiple reviews :D), TriGemini, Broken'n'Torn (for the multiple reviews), lyrically-correct, gabby11234, twilight-girl19, Sweetie7smiled, Jasperslittlesnack, fonteyn771, YesMyRealNameIsBella, PrincessGinger13, darlene10104, heh heh (anonymous review), Copymachine, LordXeenTheGreat, CarefullyiGuarded, hash4uall, ChickenBPieXxXx. Thank you so much for your reviews and feedback! **

**As promised, because of the reviews, I have decided to post this chapter earlier than planned.**

**IMPORTANT QUESTION ANSWERED:**

**Secondly, the most common question/feedback I was asked/given was about Bella's personality: she has been portrayed as timid in the last chapter. I wanted to let you know that I will be portraying Bella as a powerful and strong character – that is where I am leading with this story. The reason for the slight shift in her personality was because I was trying to show how deeply imprinting affected her. She has lived in solitude all her life to prevent something (which will be revealed later on) so she is not used to contact with mythical beings. To add to it all, she has imprinted which means she is definitely going to be tied down by one force. It is all just a little overwhelming, and I wanted to show how that unnerved her. **

**Thank you for all the questions and feedback: it is extremely appreciated. I will be portraying Bella as a strong character in this story, not with the submissive personality that Stephanie Meyer used. **

**That was a long note: so let's move on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight. **

Chapter 7:

The drive, as I predicted, was excruciating. His scent still called to me, begging me to close the distance between us. Sinfully tempting as he was, I had put the most amount of distance I could between us, sitting at the very corner of my seat. I know that he had noticed, but he was too polite to ask. All he did was arch his perfect eyebrow in question, and look back at the road.

Apart from that, the ride to their house was bearable. Edward's manic driving had us sailing past trees at a speed that should only be achieved by race car drivers. The silent journey was oddly comforting – it took my mind away from the questions that were sure to follow. The only interruptions to the alleviating silence were Alice's occasional squeals of excitement; she made it clear that she was extremely happy about my visit.

The rest of the journey passed, with me catching quick glances at Edward's seraphic face. I wasn't caught – usually. The few times I was he would smile – what had become his signature crooked smile – that made me feel like a puddle on the floor. The questions in his eyes were obvious: he wanted answers. However, he knew that we had to wait for the rest of his family.

The journey did not take more than 15 minutes, although I have a feeling that if you abide by the speed limits it would take about 40. I noticed that their house was at the opposite side of Forks than mine. However, the location was eerily similar. It was on the outskirts of town, far away from human civilisations, situated fairly deep within the forest making it perfect for hunting. I suppose great minds think alike. The view as we pulled into their driveway was mind-blowing.

An enormous, marble white mansion appeared behind the dense tree line as we drove down their long, gravel driveway. It was surrounded by a beautifully well-kept lawn that was much larger than mine. Red and white flowers had been planted on the edges of their front garden, forming an extremely pleasing boundary to the entrance. The mansion itself was three stories tall, standing in the middle of the forest in its palatial beauty. It had wide, clear glass windows that gave an illusion of openness – contrasting to the usual perception of vampires. The architecture was perfectly balanced between old and modern styles, achieved by the traditional arcs but larger windows, and sharper angles. A perfect mixture of brick and stone was achieved, giving it an extremely palatial, authentic look.

It was magnificent, to say the least.

"Wow," I exclaimed, captured by the ethereal beauty of the mansion.

Edward's musical voice only added to the surreal atmosphere of this place. "You like it?" he asked, with a sense of hope leaking into the melody of his words.

"It's… it's amazing!" I replied truthfully, in an awe-filled whisper. "It has its own definite charm," I added, still trying to recover my ability to speak without stuttering.

I didn't notice that my body had subconsciously aligned itself towards Edward, as if it naturally gravitated towards him. I watched as a brilliant smile filtered through his angelic, boyish features. His liquid topaz eyes lit up slightly, as his lips turned into the lopsided, crooked grin that I was growing to love.

"So, you ready?" he asked soothingly. It was oddly comforting to know that he was aware of my feelings.

"Not the slightest," I replied honestly. "But, let's do this," I called as enthusiastically as I could manage.

I made my way to step out of his Volvo. However, before I could even reach for the door, he was out, holding it open like the gentleman I was learning he was. I stepped outside cautiously, preparing myself for the onslaught of questions that were soon to follow as soon as I walked through that door into their home. I was not comfortable in the presence of 7 unknown vampires, especially since I was deep within their territory. I had been so used to living in solitude, I had forgotten how to interact with other mythical creatures.

Thanking Edward for his courteous action, I took the hand he extended to help me out. As soon as our skins touched, the ever present electricity once again made an appearance, startling us both. I quickly removed my hand from his, feeling highly uncomfortable regarding the current that ignited the emotions I struggled to contain.

Distracted by the ridiculously appealing man standing beside me, I had completely forgot about Alice. Looking around, I realised that she had already rushed in, leaving the two of us alone. I presumed she had already made her way into the house, and was currently relaxing in her room. I followed Edward, choosing to stay a few centimetres behind him, as he walked towards the grand, mahogany door. I don't know why, but for some strange reason being around his family seemed to have an adverse effect on my personality. Leaving the strong character behind, I had unknowingly transformed into a much more cowardly creature. I did not like it. Falling in step with Edward, I walked beside him, taking my rightful position as equals. I had just raised my hand to knock on the door when someone pulled it open from the inside.

We were greeted by another vampire, who was obviously older than the others: in both vampire, and human years. He looked like he was in his early 20's. However, his wisdom and experience reflected in his features, allowing him to look slightly older. He had light blond hair that had been combed back in a very classis style, drawing attention to his defined features. His eyes were the stunning gold that the vegetarians shared, but seemed deeper – filled with compassion and love. His stance was open – strong yet submissive. It wasn't threatening, but friendly. He had a strong jawline that seemed softer due to the welcoming smile on his face. He was slender, yet muscular, similar to Edward's body structure. His eyes moved from me to Edward, trying not to make me uncomfortable no doubt.

"Hello, Edward," he greeted in a deeply rich tenor. "I see you have brought a friend," he said as he turned towards me, "Welcome…"

"Bella," I added, already feeling more relaxed by the presence of this obviously kind man. I would not let the surprise appearance of 7 vampires dampen my spirits.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella," he replied pleasantly, while moving out of the way, silently inviting us into the house. Edward motioned for me to enter first, and I complied.

"Thank you, Dr Cullen," I said confidently as I walked into their luscious house, only to be greeted by an extraordinarily large entrance hall. The ceiling were incredibly high, at least double the height of mine, and gave a more open ambiance to their residence. The carpet was the softest rug coloured in cream, free from any stains a human might have created.

"Please call me Carlisle," he called as he closed the door behind Edward.

"Thank you, Carlisle," I amended, smiling. Most vampires in this coven were unusually pleasant. It seems like the vegetarian lifestyle had other benefits apart from ethics. Carlisle led us into the living room, which made the entrance hall seem puny. The house seemed to be decorated largely in bright shades of white. The light that filtered through the windows only added to the extremely pleasant, welcoming feel of the house.

As we walked into the room, I noticed that Carlisle had taken his place beside another vampire – who I assumed was his mate. She had a heart face, which was framed beautifully by rich caramel-coloured hair that fell in soft waves a bit below her shoulders. Her gold eyes were large, shining with motherly affection for her son. She had a softer, rounder figure than the other two females I had met, but was still slim. Her curves reinforced that she was physically older than the others, possibly the eldest of the vampires in this coven. I decided she was possibly in her mid-20s, although her nurturing personality made her seem older.

"Hello Edward, I hope you had a good day at school," she greeted, her voice a smooth alto that sounded affectionate. "Welcome Bella. I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhearing your conversation with Carlisle."

"No need to apologize ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs Cullen. You certainly have the most beautiful home I have ever seen," I complimented truthfully. Listening back, I sounded quite old-fashioned, unlike the youths today. I presumed that the company of fairly old vampires was the reason for me returning to my traditional vocabulary.

"Thank you," she replied as her face lit up with a brilliant smile at my compliment; "I decorated it myself. Please call me Esme."

"Thank you, Esme," I replied, with what I hoped was an equally friendly smile. The two vampires in front of me were definitely the parental figures of this coven. Weirdly enough, they seemed to act quite a lot like real parents too.

Simultaneously, our heads turned to the roar of a car entering the driveway. I realised that we had left Rosalie far behind when Edward tried to defy the laws of physics with his driving. It seems like they managed to catch up quicker than I expected though. We waited patiently, looking expectantly at the door, anticipating them walking through it any moment now.

And no less than a second later, the remaining 3 Cullens walked into the hallway, throwing open the door with as much care possible. Rosalie was seething, standing with her arms crossed, furious at my presence at her home. Her mate, Emmett, had his arm around her waist, whispering words of comfort, trying to calm her down. Jasper, on the other hand, looked at me with curious eyes, but turned away at the sound behind me. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Alice had made her way down the stairs to join the congregation. Running like no tomorrow, she glided across the room taking her rightful place in her mate's arms.

All eyes seemed to turn to me in unison, making me largely uncomfortable. After years of segregation, it would take me a while to get used to this company. Edward, as if sensing my discomfort, decided to break the uneasiness. Turning ever so slightly towards me, he spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence with his smooth, rich voice.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I completely forgot to introduce you to my siblings," he said, as he raised his arm to point systematically towards them, "This is Emmett and his wife and mate, Rosalie. Standing next to them is Jasper who, as you probably already know, is Alice's husband and mate," he said as he pointed each one of them out to me. "Everyone, this is Bella," he continued.

"Hi, pleasure to meet you all," I whispered, suddenly extremely aware of their stares. I chose to look at the floor, deciding it would be best not to instigate any of them by looking at them directly.

My inner voice decided that now was the best time to have her opinions heard. She yelled at me viciously, infuriated by my unconventional behaviour to these vampires.

_What is wrong with you? _She screamed, furious at my timid nature._ We are the creators of these creatures; you have a certain degree of power and authority over them. You should be confident! A persona of power and self-certainty. Don't cower from their stares! Remember who you are._

It was my turn to be furious. I replied, just as angered as she was: that is exactly what we have been running from all these years! You know that people are afraid of the power I hold over mythical creatures. You know that their fear would only develop into something far more sinister. Especially with what has happened in the past: how can you even think of using my authority over innocent creatures!

I was outraged! She, of all people, knew the struggle we had to go through. She knew how my natural identity held a subconscious power of all vampires and werewolves alike. She also knew the result of this authority: how it only instigated fear; how it made me a feared legend; how it could drive the races into paranoia. Or worse. How people would try to use me – to use my authority – over other creatures.

However, after much consideration, I understood her point. Recently, I had been acting a bit out of character: I am not an embarrassed creature who can be controlled by anyone at will. I am not a timid being, waiting to be walked over. If not the ultimate sire that she was expecting, I am at the very least a strong, confident being who can hold my own in any situation. How could I allow one imprint to make me forgot who I am, and what I am? I will not bow to others. They may question me if they wish, but they will understand that while we are equals, I am not someone to be messed with.

Understanding that I needed to 'man up', I lifted my face, into what I hoped was a confident stance. I raised my shoulders and straightened by back, dissolving into the calm, collected personality that screamed authority. Right now, standing before the Cullens, was not Isabella Marie Swan, the person pretending to be a human teenager at school. Standing before them was Bella the being that – for some reason that they did not know yet – radiated authority.

All I had ever wanted was to be left alone, so that I did not have to resume my role as the creator of these two races. However, the more I came into contact with mythical beings, the more my identity was known. The more my existence was passed down as a legends, fairy-tales and myths. And right now, I had reverted back to the being of the legends. The creature that held power in her stance; that carried determination in her actions; that lived in solitude, but was a force to be reckoned with if instigated.

I watched as they subconsciously registered my authority, automatically holding a slightly more submissive stance than before. They had understood that there was something different about me: I was not like them. And for some reason, there would be an indistinct sense of discomfort at the back of their head, telling them to beware of me. It was a self-defence mechanism really – it was there to warn them who I was when compared to them. I watched as shuffled uncomfortably, obviously wary of what their instincts screamed at them. Only Edward seemed unaware of my authority – probably because he was my imprint. He had nothing to fear. However, some vampires just did not listen to their instincts sometimes.

Rosalie, it seemed, had decided to ignore the continuous warnings of her instincts and confront the situation head on. She looked at Edward, fury still raging like fire in her eyes.

"Why is she here, Edward?" she asked, making sure to let her disapproval flow through her voice.

All of the Cullens turned to her, obviously shocked at her obvious disregard to my authority. They were willing her with their eyes to calm down, obviously respecting their instincts… wisely.

"I was getting to that," he replied seething, also disapproving of his sister's behaviour. "Bella knows that we are vampires. Alice invited her over so that she could explain to us how."

Turning towards me, he gestured me to walk forward. "Bella, if you will please," he asked politely, his eyes locking my gaze.

Slowly yet purposefully, I stepped forward, commanding their immediate attention. They had chosen to bring me home, now they must deal with knowing the truth themselves.

"Perhaps we should move this to a larger room," I suggested, although it seemed more like an order. "So that we could be more comfortable."

"Of course, Bella." It was Esme, who replied in her bright, compassionate voice.

"Thank you," I said genuinely, with a smile gracing my face. This appeared to put the others more at ease. It was clear that they would not over step my authority, but they seemed more comfortable – less on edge like before. It was probably the swift change in character that shocked them.

Esme led the way into a dining room: the gigantic mahogany dining table stood in the centre. It was an antique, no doubt one of Esme's collections; she was quite fond of interior decoration. The rest of the room, like the others, was painted white with a large window; however, this one looked into the enormous garden. I realised that there property had no boundary – it simply blended into the forest below.

I waited to sit down until everyone had taken their respective seats at the table. Carlisle sat at one end of the oval table, probably because of his role as the leader of this coven. I took the only seat left behind – the one directly opposite Carlisle, at the very other end. I noticed that it was also the one beside Edward; for some reason, I'm not convinced that was a co-incidence. However, rather than fighting his scent, and my obvious need to mark him as my imprint, I embraced it, seeking comfort in our unique connection.

Once I was comfortable in the seat, I looked up. This was not a social visit, as much as I would have hoped it was – this was time for business.

"Rosalie, to answer your previous question: I am here because Alice and Edward invited me," I stated in a calm voice of steel, which allowed no emotions through. "I assure you I would not simply walk into your home without any invitation," I continued pointedly.

"As for the reason I am here; I think Edward would be best to explain that," I acknowledged. Looking at Edward, I encouraged him with my eyes, silently assuring him that this was what I wanted.

"Well, Bella and I had biology together today," he started while not taking his eyes away from mine. During our fairly brief conversation she let me know that she knew what I was – a vampire. So, I presume Alice invited Bella over so that she could explain to us the detail of her knowledge."

I nodded, answering the implicit question. Deciding it was better if I just picked up where Edward left off, I continued the story.

"So, I agreed to come over. You all deserve an explanation as to how I know a secret." I added, waiting for the inevitable questioning.

It wasn't long till their curiosity got the best of one of them.

"So… how do you know?" It was Emmett who asked the question that was lingering on all of their tongues.

I was about to answer when I felt something attack my shield. Apparently, Jasper had decided to have a second go at checking my emotions. Looking directly at him, I allowed him to feel the full intensity of my emotions for a few seconds. He staggered back in his seat, overwhelmed by the sheer strength of what I was feeling. He could feel my inner struggle: the love and devotion I felt for my imprint; the anger and frustration I felt for the sudden turn of events; the calmness and authority that radiated of off me because of my persona. His eyes widened and darkened as he struggled to gain control of his reactions. I reactivated my shield, waiting for him to recover.

At this point, everyone was staring at us with confusion – they had no idea what was going on. It appeared as if even Edward could not decipher the jumbled mess of Jasper's thoughts.

"H-How did you do… that?" he asked, stuttering at the start, still regaining control.

"Sorry Jasper, I didn't realise this would be quite as overwhelming," I apologised. They had done nothing wrong to deserve any mistreatment. "I have been blocking my emotions out from you for a while. For example: at lunch, you were right when you pointed out that I had no emotions, and those you could feel were too sustained to be real. All I did right now was let you feel all of the emotions I am experiencing at the moment. I apologise for the sudden surprise."

I looked around, judging their reactions. They ranged from the puzzled expressions (Emmett) to a sense of horrific understanding – Carlisle.

"I am a shield: that is how I managed to block Jasper's ability," I continued before I could be interrupted. "It is also the reason I know of his ability. I felt him attacking my shield at lunch and automatically blocked him out as a self-defence mechanism. I truly am sorry, Jasper – I didn't realise it would make you that uncomfortable." I paused, giving them a few moments to digest the information.

Carlisle's usually strong, compassionate voice was laced with uncertainty and hesitation.

"What are you?" he asked in a whisper.

It was now or never.

They would get it out of me eventually – it is my duty to inform my imprint. Taking a deep breath, I launched into the tale that I had guarded for centuries.

"Are any of you aware of the legend of the ultimate sire?"

**AN: Hope you enjoyed that chapter!**

**Sorry, if that was a bit of a cliff-hanger. The next chapter will have quite detailed explanations of Bella's stories, which should finally reveal exactly who Bella is and what is her role. **

**IMPORTANT QUESTION: Do you like the title of the story as 'The Creator'? I was thinking of changing it to 'The Ultimate Sire', since this is the legend it is based around. Please tell me in your reviews what you think. **

**So, please REVIEW! The more reviews I get, the earlier I upload the chapters (and the longer they are!)**

**Love you all,**

**Kay-Gemini**


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